


One Year, One Day, One Smile

by Stregatrek



Category: Hot Fuzz (2007)
Genre: Anniversary, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Longing, M/M, Sort Of, gratuitous use of sunshine comparisons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:41:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stregatrek/pseuds/Stregatrek
Summary: Danny’s smile is brilliant. Nick falls into it, as always. The sun doesn’t show up half enough for Danny’s garden, now that he has one, to grow as well as it does. Nick suspects that that smile is the answer. To a lot of questions, actually, not just the thing about the garden.
Relationships: Nicholas Angel/Danny Butterman
Comments: 13
Kudos: 134





	One Year, One Day, One Smile

**Author's Note:**

> for https://karlimeaghan.tumblr.com/ who requested Nicholas/Danny Hot Fuzz! Hope this does it for you, love!

“Oi, Nick, happy anniversary!” Danny chucked a flower at him.  


It missed his desk by a good three feet, falling to the floor before Nicholas had had a chance to process what was happening. “What?”  


“You know, happy one year! In Sandford!” And Danny’s looking at him like he should have known, which is fair because he should have, he’s just had rather a lot on his mind lately, alright? Namely that smile, the one spreading across Danny’s face, that’s telling him he’s a stupid git sometimes but still worth a smile that looks like the sun.  


“Yes! Pub tonight to celebrate?” Nick tries to save it, getting up from behind the Chief Inspector’s desk- his desk- to pick the flower up.  


“Er- I thought we might go to mine, actually,”  


Danny’s suggested that a hundred times. Maybe not a hundred. Enough that he shouldn’t look uncomfortable, hand rubbing the back of his neck. Does his neck hurt? Should Nicholas offer to rub it? Would that be weird? He’d like to do it, give Danny a massage, maybe not in his office though, he could suggest they do it later, at Danny’s. Would that be more weird or less weird? Oh- he’s getting off track. “Yes, alright,” He smiles. “After shift then?”  


“Yeah,” Danny’s smile is brilliant. Nick falls into it, as always. The sun doesn’t show up half enough for Danny’s garden, now that he has one, to grow as well as it does. Nick suspects that that smile is the answer. To a lot of questions, actually, not just the thing about the garden.  


“I should really get this in water- is it a begonia?”  


Danny nodded. “Thought you liked ‘em.”  


“I do,” Nick smiles. “Thank you.” He goes to the little break room’s kitchen to get a glass from the new station’s cupboard, hinges still sticky with how brand-new they are, and fills it at the sink. Danny’s silly ‘happy anniversary’ makes his lips turn up at the corners. And maybe he wishes it was the kind of anniversary that came with roses and kissing, so sue him. He’s not the dream police. And he’s perfectly capable of still appreciating the kind of anniversary that it actually is, thank you very much.  


Andy Wainwright does not miss Nicholas’ smile, as shite as he is at detecting. “What’s got you grinnin’ like anything, then?” He leans on the door frame, Cartwright beside him.  


The new rule is no smoking inside, but both Wainwright and Cartwright manage to give off an aura like they’re holding cigarettes as they peer at him from behind their matching sunglasses. “None of your business,” Nick tells them.  


“Prick,” Cartwright says under his breath as Nick passes them, holding his flower.  


“Wanker,” he returns. It’s a strange sort of friendship, with them, but he’ll take it.  


“Girlfriend bring you flowers then?” Cartwright teases, following him back to the main room, where most of their desks share space.  


“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Nick replies, feeling a blush creep up his neck. They know that.  


“Boyfriend bring you flowers then?” Wainwright asks.  


“I don’t have a boyfriend,” They know that too, but Nick’s blush is getting brighter, and he suspects that’s rather more the point of the questions.  


“Butterman bring you flowers then?”  


“It’s just the one flower, actually,” Danny pipes up helpfully from his desk. The Andies high five. “‘S his anniversary. In Sandford, tha’ is,” and he’s blushing a little. Maybe embarrassed that Nick forgot and he remembered? Nick has to fix that immediately.  


“And it’s a lovely flower,” Nicholas smiles at Danny, who grins back, bright as the sun. Nick could swear the flower perks up at the sight, but he could be projecting. Probably projecting. He clears his throat. “I have some paperwork to finish up. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”  


Paperwork shouldn’t be hard to concentrate on, being as it’s the one constant of his life, but for some reason the begonia in its glass of water keeps drawing his gaze. He reaches up to stroke its petals gently. It was thoughtful of Danny to bring him a flower. Anniversary of his first day in Sandford… how different things were, then. He thinks about sitting in the pub in his stab vest and grimaces. Danny asking him what the second most painful experience of his life was. Danny taking him to the shops, sitting in the lay-by with him. His mind spins quickly through the NWA incident, not eager to relive it even if Danny had been there, and that’s what matters. That Danny had been there. Danny had been there with him every day since his arrival, except the days he was in hospital, asleep, having taken a shot meant for Nicholas. The thought made Nick clench his hands. On those days, in hospital, Nick had been there for him. Sitting by his bed until he woke up, panicking and pressing the call button for the nurse as soon as Danny’s eyes opened. Danny had winced, and then caught sight of him, and smiled.  


If Nicholas had been a flower, like the begonia whose petals he was lightly stroking, he’d have gotten all the light he needed from that one smile. But Nicholas was Chief Inspector, and he wasn’t going to grow thoughtlessly toward that light like a sunflower, turning his face to it, leaning in close- pressing their lips together- holding Danny’s face and telling him how he meant everything, how he was everything, how Nick loved him.  


No, he didn’t do those things. And he’d continued to not do those things, even though he kept getting to see that smile, through an act of the same supreme willpower that had gotten him this far in life. He’s Chief Inspector, and it would be dodgy to have an in-precinct relationship at all, especially with the station as small as it was, but even more so if he made the first move. Abuse of power, and all that. This is something he reminds himself of. He’s considered setting a regular alarmed reminder on his phone, just in case, but that seems like something he would have done pre-Sandford. Pre-Danny. He thinks he can remember not to kiss Danny, much as he wants to. Now, if Danny were to kiss him first… that’s an idea that has kept him up, too many nights out of the last year.  


The stunningly gorgeous object of his thoughts taps at his office door, and Nicholas snaps out of his thoughts, letting go of the begonia. “Yes, Danny, hello,”  


“Lunch,” Danny tells him, giving him an odd look. “Thought you might want to pop ‘round to that new cafe.”  


Nick grabs his jacket. “Wonderful idea,”  


“Have a nice date, loves,” Doris says on their way out, and Nicholas crimsons.  


“Sorry, didn’t catch that?” Danny asks.  


“Have a nice lunch,” Doris smiles, winking. Danny smiles back. Nicholas covers his face behind Danny’s back. He _knows _Doris is perceptive, he _knows _this, but he wishes she would just… keep quiet about it. One of these days it’s going to get him caught, and that’s not how he wants to tell Danny how he feels. He glares at her as they leave. She waves.  
____

___They walk, and Nicholas keeps catching himself staring at Danny. He tells himself that it’s because it’s cloudy, and Danny’s smile is bright. Then he realizes that’s not exactly a good friendly excuse, and glues his eyes to the village around them. Danny is telling him about a new release, and how good the trailers were. “... we should go up to the big cinema at Buford Abbey, see it when it comes out,” he says.  
_ _ _

___“Alright,” Nicholas agrees, because he’d agree to go anywhere with Danny, and he doesn’t have the foggiest what the film is going to be about, but that doesn’t really matter, because he’ll be sitting side-by-side with Danny. They reach the cafe, and he holds the door. “After you, Sergeant,”  
_ _ _

___Danny still glows with pride at his new title. Nick can’t help but smile back. Lunch goes by too quickly, and he hopes he’s kept up his end of the conversation. Normally, he’s not so distracted. But it’s been a year now, and Danny brought him a flower, and Nick’s reading too much into it, and Doris made that little comment, and, and, and, “Hey,” Danny’s fingers snap in front of his face. “Switch off, mate,”  
_ _ _

___He blinks. “Yeah, right, sorry-” looks around. “I like this place.”  
_ _ _

___Danny beams. “Thought you would. New folks from out of town. Curry’s my favorite,” He scrapes the last spoonful of said curry out of his bowl, and Nicholas notices he’s only had half his lunch, and they ought to be headed back soon.  
_ _ _

___“Want any of this, mate?” He offers, pushing the potatoes and peas to the middle of the table. “Can probably finish it if we share,” he explains, getting a forkful.  
_ _ _

___Danny reaches for it. “Hey, thanks!” He smiles at Nick, the sunshine again. A sun in a cafe. Well, in Sandford it seems to make sense somehow. Nicholas definitely does not watch Danny’s hands move as he eats. Danny has beautiful hands, big, soft, strong- not that Nick would know, of course. Because he doesn’t watch them.  
_ _ _

___After lunch, they go on patrol, and nothing interesting happens, but sitting in the lay-by with a speed checker isn’t boring, not when he’s with Danny. Their hands accidentally brush three times, and Nicholas catalogues each one. (1) Reaching for the radio dial, (2) checking the scanner, (3) going for their sunglasses in the center console when the clouds unexpectedly part. It’s the best part of his day, upholding the speed limit and talking with Danny about nothing at all.  
_ _ _

___They head back to the station and change out of their uniforms, Nicholas keeping his eyes glued to his locker, for all the good it does him. “Yours?” He asks as they leave, nodding goodbye to the desk sergeant.  
_ _ _

___“Yeah,” Danny smiles, and it really isn’t fair that the sun comes out at night, here. Messing with his rhythms. Not that he can even conceive of minding. “Thought I might make dinner,”  
_ _ _

___“Can you cook?” Nicholas doesn’t mean to sound as surprised as he does, but for a whole year it’s been takeaway or Nick cooking, never Danny. Danny always does the dishes, though, sweet as he is. “I mean, sorry,”  
_ _ _

___“Nah,” Danny waves the apology away. “Not great. But I can make a couple things. Do an alright fry-up.”  
_ _ _

___Nick smiles. A fry-up on Danny’s couch with his boxes still packed up months after his latest move, to the house that used to be Frank’s but neither of them talk about that. It sounds like Heaven, to him. “Sounds wonderful,” he says honestly, sticking his hands in his jacket pockets so he can’t even think about holding Danny’s. “Got a film in mind? I still haven’t seen Die Hard.”  
_ _ _

___“Nah, that’s a Christmas movie, innit? I’m saving it,”  
_ _ _

___“A Christmas movie?” And last Christmas was a tumultuous time, with Danny recovering- again, his fault, Nick’s stomach twists- and the new station being built, Nick getting used to being Chief Inspector. But they’ll see it this Christmas, and Nick will make the spiked eggnog recipe his mum gave him, and they’ll sit close on Danny’s couch, sharing a blanket, and- and nothing. Because Danny doesn’t see him like that. Nick will fall asleep toward the end of Die Hard, and wake up with his head on Danny’s shoulder, feeling warm from the inside, and he’ll move carefully away before Danny wakes up and realizes. But Danny’s telling him, arguing passionately really, that Die Hard is a Christmas movie and he’s nodding along like of course it is, that makes complete sense, even someone such as he who had never seen Die Hard in his life can clearly understand that it’s a Christmas movie. They get to Danny’s, and he hovers in the kitchen, watching his best friend in the world make a terrible fry-up. He’s going to eat it, he knows, even if Danny opened the spice cupboard one time and even that was just to grab salt. But that’s what you do for love. Danny gets their food on plates, opens them each a beer, and smiles at Nicholas, and Nicholas smiles back because he can’t conceive of a world in which he doesn’t reply in kind to Danny’s bright smile, his dimples.  
_ _ _

___God, he wants to kiss those dimples.  
_ _ _

___They head to the couch, and Danny grabs a film. “Okay.” He says seriously, squaring up to Nicholas, who smiles helplessly up at him, loving the intense look on his face as he holds out something marked ‘Star Wars: Episode I’ and continues, “This is a terrible film. But it’s the start of many excellent films. So we’re gonna sit through this one, and then we’ll get to the good ones, okay?”  
_ _ _

___With nothing he would rather do than sit beside Danny, Nick says, “okay.” And it _is _quite possibly the most terrible movie he’s ever seen, how did he miss them making these? You’d think the sound from the theaters would have been like that scream in the Princess Bride, the sound of ultimate suffering (and yes he’s seen the Princess Bride, thanks very much). But all through it, Danny is making fun of it, and Nick throws his criticisms in just to hear Danny laugh, they work their way through Danny’s case of beer and the incredibly salty eggs he’s made, and they sink closer and closer together on the ancient couch.  
___ _ _

___“Time for the second one,” Danny heaves himself up, Nick blinking after him, absolutely not admiring his backside. He’s got new jeans, Nick notices, and they look great on him. Incredible really. “It’s better, I promise,”  
_ _ _

___“I trust you,” Nick says.  
_ _ _

___Danny blinks. “Y’do?”  
_ _ _

___It doesn’t sound like something he really meant to say, and Nicholas thinks about letting it slide past with a joke. He can’t quite, though. It’s important to him that Danny knows how much Nick trusts him, even if he can’t know how much Nick loves him. “Of course I do,” he says, sitting up. “More than anyone. You’re my partner,” he looks earnestly at Danny. “And you’re my best friend. I- I-” he swallows. _Oh, that was close. _“I trust you im-implicity,” he doesn’t think that’s right, but he’s a little drunk and Danny is beaming at him and that’s what matters.  
___ _ _

___“I trust you too, Nick. Wiv my life,”  
_ _ _

___That almost breaks his heart, but Danny doesn’t seem to notice, turning back to the DVD player and getting the second Star Wars queued up. Nicholas learns over the next hour and some that it’s not actually the second Star Wars, but it is episode two, and those are somehow different things. He doesn’t really care, since Danny’s thigh is pressed against his and it’s warm; Danny is warm, as befits sunshine.  
_ _ _

___He’s not sure when he falls asleep, but when he wakes his head is on Danny’s shoulder and Danny’s arm is around him. The crick in his neck is nothing new; he seems to fall asleep like this every time he goes to Danny’s for movie nights, and it’s a highlight of his life. Falling asleep on a broken down old couch with his best friend drooling on him a little bit. No one ever said every love story involved grand, sweeping gestures. The story of him being in love with Danny is all little things, a cornetto Danny bought him when he was still Sergeant Angel, new-in-town prat, the housewarming party Danny had thrown for him despite barely being out of hospital, nights spent on this couch with takeaway and cheap beer. And one big thing, one big thing Nick tries not to think about but knows he’ll never forget. And now, the arm around his shoulders. It’s a new addition to the list, but one he’s very interested in getting used to.  
_ _ _

___The only downside is that it makes it hard to move away before Danny wakes up, which is usually what he does on mornings like these. Scoots carefully away, goes to the kitchen to make breakfast, leaving Danny’s on the table with a quick note before jogging home to change before jogging to the station.  
_ _ _

___Today, however, it doesn’t appear he’ll be able to stick to that routine, unless he can maneuver his way out from under Danny’s arm, not drop the empty plate that’s miraculously still on his lap, and navigate the minefield of empty beer cans without waking Danny up. He doesn’t think his odds are good, but he’s taking his leave of Danny’s relaxed, soft expression and preparing to try an escape when Danny wakes with a snuffle. “Nick?” He’s not ready for the way Danny’s voice sounds, saying his name all sleep-rough, and he freezes. “G’morning,” Danny’s arm around him tightens as he yawns. His breath is awful, but Nick can’t mind, when he’s being held so tight against Danny’s side, warm and soft, and maybe he died in the night and maybe this is Heaven? He doesn’t remember his soul being weighed, or meeting Saint Peter, so maybe he really does get to have this. Really does get to feel this safe with someone. With Danny.  
_ _ _

___“Morning, Danny,” he says in reply, and he’s teetering on the edge of turning away, making his escape to the kitchen, when Danny’s hand slides down from his shoulder to squeeze his hip, and his brain has never been more switched-off. “Uh-” He doesn’t have anything to say, no thoughts in his head, but he can’t just leave an ‘uh’ out there unaccompanied, so he says the first thing into his mind, which is, “Danny,”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah?” Danny yawns again and seems to clock his arm, which is now fully around Nicholas Angel. “Mm, sorry.”  
_ _ _

___“No, it’s fine,”  
_ _ _

___And maybe that comes out a little too fast, a little more honestly than he meant it, or maybe Danny hears something else under it, because he pauses. “It is?”  
_ _ _

___His eyes are soft, he’s blinking sleep out of his eyes, and Nicholas wants to believe that his gaze flicked down to Nick’s lips for an instant, but it can’t have, because it’s Danny, and they’ve woken up like this a hundred times. Well, maybe not a hundred, but enough that Nicholas shouldn’t feel his cheeks on fire as he blushes, trying to think of something to say that’s true but not too honest. “Er- course, you didn’t mean to,” He smiles. His face is so close to Danny’s, it would be so easy to just- but usually when they wake up like this, Nick slips away, doesn’t have this moment of being tucked into Danny’s side, Danny’s arm holding him there, his heart pounding.  
_ _ _

___“What if I did mean to?” Danny’s voice is so quiet, and his gaze is so soft, and Nick thinks, _how brave you are, Danny Butterman _.  
___ _ _

___But what he says is, “That’d be good,” and feels like what he’s just said is going to end everything or start something completely new. He holds his breath to see which way he’ll fall off this knife’s edge, and it’s the first time he’s let someone else make a decision that could end him, but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t trust Danny, and sure enough-  
_ _ _

___“That’s good,” he swallows hard. “‘Cause I did,”  
_ _ _

___“That’s good,” Nick repeats, and he knows he’s not imagining it when Danny’s eyes flick down to his lips again. “Er, I’ve been- I haven’t wanted to say anything, as the superior officer, not wanting to abuse my power, and all that, but, um,”  
_ _ _

___“Can I kiss ya, then?” Danny asks, his other hand reaching over to touch Nicholas’ face, and Nick’s breath just stops. He feels his eyes widen, and he nods.  
_ _ _

___Danny’s fingers are in his hair, carding through it softly, and Nick is so glad he’s let it grow out just a little, enough for it to be soft to the touch. He can’t help his quiet sigh against Danny’s lips, which makes the other man pull him closer with the hand still on Nick’s hip. He loses all track of time, and then Danny is pulling away slightly, taking a deep breath. Nick does the same, smiling, eyes closed. Oh yes, air. Funny thing about air is that you need it. Maybe not as much as this; he leans in for another kiss, Danny’s lips so soft against his, Danny himself so soft, so gentle with him, hands warm where they hesitantly touch. Nick wants to tell him he doesn’t have to hesitate, Nick is his, in all degrees and all possible ways, there for Danny to have at his leisure. He doesn’t know how to say this, and tries to communicate his feelings via kiss. They’ll have to use words at some point, but for the moment, kissing seems like a very effective communication method.  
_ _ _

___“Y’know,” Danny says softly into the infinitesimal gap between them, “Your hair has always ‘minded me of sunshine,”  
_ _ _

___Nicholas smiles, pressing another soft kiss to Danny’s lips. “Funny. I’ve always thought the same thing about your smile,”  
_ _ _


End file.
